Hello And Welcome to YT03AYF Bus Blog. Its just another blogger site aiming to do not much but to air my views and some news on local transport in the South Yorkshire area and beyond in some cases. I know i can't spell but thats just my dislexia. I created this blog when bored to give me something to do
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Sunday, 19 August 2012

All Washed up... Holiday Bashing

As previously mentioned ive been on Holiday this week, Returning home to South Yorkshire about 2 Saturday afternoon. Last Saturday and Sunday we're bus less as i was enjoying myself in Skegness. Monday however was the trip to King's Lynn to meet a good friend, Ian Wiseman, This started with a walk into Skegness, As the dog had woken me up at the hour of 4am i walked into Skegness hoping to get some photos before catching the 07:20 7 to Boston. However upon arrival i noticed the 06:20 X7 to Boston pulling onto stand, I never expected catching this, I jumped aboard. My bus Volvo B7TL East Lancs Vyking 16914 (FX54AOD). The driver was female and hadn't done the X7 before. She did very well and didn't get lost once, She was a very good driver overtaking 2 tractors and keeping to the timetable. We arrived in Boston at 07:03, I was very annoyed with the lack of anything at Boston Bus Station. I walked around the car parks and stands, No information regarding Timetables or Stands services departed form. It surely is the worst bus station in England, Wales or Scotland for that matter i have ever visited or seen. The stands were in a poor state of repair and nobody seemed to be in charge or have any ownership what so ever. The Stands where all painted in Dark Blue, It was very dull in Boston Bus Station, The bus station was not clean at all and was quite a discusting place to be. Some effort could have at least been made to keep the traveling public happy. Let allone safe, i was constantly wacthing my back there. Another point to make regarding Boston Bus Station was the number of stands for the number of buses that operate there, While i was there between 07:03 and 07:40 16914 left of stand 4 and a Kimes Olympian came in with a 59 to Spalding on Stand 7, That left and then nothing else came in until my service 113 to Spalding from Boston, This was X324NNO. This was quite good given its time in London with Stagecoach before sale to Brylaine. Seemed a quallity bus, Then it was with a minutes worth of connection onto Nofolk Green 105 (YK57FHM) to King's Lynn. I was very impressed with my first Norfolk Green vehicle, An operator ive always liked but never before used. As i was making my journey i got a very amusing text message for Ian saying "I assume you mean skegness to boston... or you are wayyyy ahead of time", He was still in bed and after i arrived about 10 minutes after he did so we went and did new ADL Enviro 400 21 (SN12EHM). I was very impressed at Norfolk Greens new ADL Enviro 400s, Very good buses indeed. Then it was onto Tempo 112 (YJ57EHX) on the 11 back to Kings Lynn, This was very full as went around the Sandringham Estate owned by the royal family, There was a offroad turning circle here which provided a good ammount of dust which followed the vehicle all the way around, The vehicle was thrown about over the bumps going around the circle... Very intresting indeed never really been on a leaning Tempo beforehand. Then some bashing around King's Lynn commenced, While there we did the following vehicles:Optare Versa 504 (YJ10EYG) on the Fairstead 1
Optare Solo 620 (AU53KSO) on the North Lynn Too!
Optare Versa 501 (MX09HJJ) on the Pandora Four
Irisbus Agoraline 130 (FE52HFR) on the Fairstead 1
Optare Solo 606 (YN03NCV) on the North Wooten Three

Then after a great day with Ian it was time to head back to Skegness again, ZF powerd Spectra 7 (YJ51ZVF) was my bus back to Spalding on the 505, Leaving King's Lynn we got stuck in traffic for the roadways up near the Arch. We were therefor a good 10-15 minutes behind out timetable however the driver did an excerlant job getting back on time before Spalding allowing me to make my connection. The Norfolk Green driver was excerlant and certainly could drive at speed safely, Unlike the idiot who was driving my Brylaine service back to Boston, This was X304NNO and also got stuck in traffic, The driver was therefor late, And was driving fast however decided it was a good idea to cross the white line in the road twice before finally doing it on a blind cornor, There really was no way he could have seen anything coming at him before it was too late and this caused uncomfort between passengers. I must say the Dennis Trident Alexander ALX400 coped fine with the speed and reminded me how good the older Tridents really are however i was glad to be away from the driver. About a 40 minutes wait in Boston, The worst Bus Station ive been to in the UK and Stagecoach DAF SB220 East Lancs Myllennium 26122 (X852HFE) arrived, I was glad to finally see something beachball before my eyes again and with a double crew we set off to Skegness with the last IC7 of the day. We took a brake in Wainfleet of 5 minutes to let the bus cool down, These Myllenniums used to been on the Seafront Service 1 (Skegness-Ingoldmells-Chaple St Lenords) and not the high speed 7 (Boston-Wainfleet-Skegness). We got into Skegness 6 minutes late but that allowed for a connection onto 21212 (), That took me back to Winthorpe on Route 3 (Skegness-Ingoldmells-Anchor Ln). This is one of the rare Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urbans in the fleet which i do like very much. I took the time to notice the Blue lighting instead of the normal boreing white lighting on Stagecoach Skegness vehicles... Its very nice and should go fleet wide but thats just opinion. That concluded Monday which was an excerlant day, Great to finally meet Ian too. Tuesday saw me do too more buses, 16940 (FX06AOB) into Skegness and 16093 (R93 XNO) back to Winthorpe. Both impressive vehicles with the interior of 16940 impressing me the most, The seating was brilliant and i can see why there so popular. 16093 was operating the 19:15 off Skegness bus station and became very very full with standing passengers, That made it hard to battle off at Winthorpe but for a trip on a Volvo Olympian its worth that. Wednesday was the day i choose to do a Lincolnshire Day Out ticket on Stagecoach Skegness, I travelled on most the fleet and certainly too much to list but ive managed to get all DAF SB220 East Lancs Myllenniums, Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urbans and Open Top Dennis Tridents at Skegness Depot. I got Olympians 16093/16147/16817 the latter two been on loan for the summer season and Volvo B7TL 16914, 16940/2. I didn't manage to do much InterConnect stuff but there is allways next time. Most services operating on Skegness seafront were ether full and standing load passing potential passengers or following another bus, 1s we're often late because of Traffic at the popular resort of Ingoldmells and this is really unavoidable. 3s we're running its 2s and 3s battleing with the Traffic at Ingoldmells/ Skegness like the 1s but also getting passengers and young families wishing to get Open Top deckers which all ended up full and running in pairs or threes... Me i was happy with the Olympians. If it was me choosing what to do i would allocation Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urban 21211-6 to Skegness for Winter services and Summer extras with the rest been decker, I would also operate routes 1/3 every 8 minutes if possible but in Skegness with its traffic cahos not much ever operates ontime. Stagecoach drivers in Skegness are very friendly, Some of the best ive experanced and there were able to deal with the Traffic and passengers wanting to get here and back the cheapist way, Most passengers didn't know what tickets they wanted and don't when boarding buses in Skegness and Ingoldmells most stating Caravan sites or Hotels and then expecting the driver to know them. and the nearist stopping point. I really do think Stagecoach should prise drivers in Skegness as i would compair the job to driving in London City Centre on tourist routes. My driver on 16817 shouted to a member of staff montoring while he was stuck in Traffic at Fanatsy Island "I'm Late, Very late, 20 Minutes Late" However what could he have done differently. Not at all much. On Thursday i did nothing bus wise but Friday saw me do 21214 to Skegness and 17675 back to Winthorpe, 26122 to Skegness and 26126 back to Winthorpe. Saturday morning i went into Skegness and got 26124 there with 17673 back, Its allways nice to sit at the back of an Open Top decker in the wind.... A Good time had by myself me thinks and for those on my facebook, Pics are up. Please visit my You tube to see the videos i filmed dueing my time in King's Lynn and Skegness, Link Below....
YT03AYF Videos :- http://www.youtube.com/user/YT03AYF?gl=GB

Note: Videos will all be uploaded on 19/08/12, Please remember to check on 20th for ones you may miss/ have missed.